The Earth is getting warmer and climate change is directly impacting businesses! Carbon pricing has evolved unconsciously, consumer awareness on green business and sustainability has increased, and new markets are emerging. The time for climate action is now, as we transform business sustainability virtues in the next 30 years, i.e. halving global emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050, to meet the palatable two-degree temperature rise by the end of this century.

Malaysia has pledged to reduce its carbon emission intensity by up to 45% by 2030, relative to its GDP from 2005 base levels. Businesses are a key stakeholder and play a pivotal role in the low carbon transition, and it is no different in Malaysia. There is an urgent need for business leaders to understand the value and importance of a future carbon-neutral world. The Race To Zero (R2Z) is a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a healthy, resilient, zero-carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth.

The British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (BMCC), in close collaboration with the British High Commission, is supporting the R2Z campaign in Malaysia via a series of engagement activities in advance of the UN Climate Change Conference, CoP26, hosted by the UK Government in partnership with Italy. The 25 March webinar in KL aims to highlight that the shift to a zero-carbon future is underway ─ it is creating good jobs, driving sustainable growth, building resilience, protecting people's health and building a better future for us all.

We want to invite progressive thought leaders and companies to tell stories of progress, from across Malaysia and the world, being delivered by businesses and how we can scale up and mobilise the current efforts further.

Together we want to show, if we pick up the pace, that this is a race we can win with Malaysian-based companies showing leadership in the space along with their global peers. The first webinar will be positioned to:

• demonstrate the risk of climate change and the benefits of accelerating of carbon transition plans and exploring net zero aspirations by the mid-century by businesses;
• understand the state of business readiness in Malaysia for ambitious carbon reduction efforts and transition plans;
• tease out the incentives and platforms available and requirement to scale up in order to support businesses in their carbon transformation plans; and
• gauge early movers amongst Malaysian-based businesses that are willing to commit to the R2Z campaign, thus becoming leading trend setters in the space.